


I Won't Say I'm in Love

by everystareverywhere



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-18
Updated: 2006-11-18
Packaged: 2019-05-15 23:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everystareverywhere/pseuds/everystareverywhere
Summary: Donna's friend try to convince her she's in love.





	I Won't Say I'm in Love

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: If you know it, I don't own it  
If you go here: http://www.my-serendipity.net/jdmvids.htm you  
can see an awesome music video that Jen did for this song, along  
with some other wonderful music videos.  


* * *

"Donna!" I hear as I walk into the gym of a school in Boston. This  
has been the third auditorium I have been in a row. I can tell you  
that I am now sick of seeing auditoriums.

I turn around and am shocked to see my best friend from high school,  
Erin Peters, waiving back at me. "Erin?!"

"The one and only" she answers with a smile before giving me a hug  
and a kiss on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Good. And busy. How are you doing? I heard you got married."

"I am" she says waiving her left hand in front of me. Great another  
one of my friends married, and I don't even have a guy! "Three years  
now. Anyway, I heard you're working in the White House. I heard from…  
oh what was his name? That guy who…I think he became a doctor…"

"Kevin Berkeley?" I say knowing she's referring to the man Josh  
calls Dr. Freeride.

*If there's a prize for rotten judgment,  
I guess I've already won that.  
No man is worth the aggravation!  
That's ancient history, been there, done that!*

"Yes! That's him! I saw him a few months ago. He looks terrible" I  
smile even though I know I shouldn't. I mean, think about it, you  
heard that your ex-boyfriend looks terrible, wouldn't you smile?  
Yeah, that's what I thought. She looks over my shoulder before  
saying, "But now, that guy over there….whoa give me a piece of him!"

I turn around, excepting to see Sam behind me. I mean, come on, you  
have to be blind not to see how hot Sam is. Anyway, I turn around,  
already to see Sam, and who do I see?

Josh.

"Who is THAT?" Erin says with a slight smirk. That her I-want-his-  
name-and-number-NOW smirk, even though she's married. "Do you know  
him?"

"Yeah"

"Really? Who is he?"

"That's Josh Lyman"

"How do you know him?"

I look back at her. "He's my boss"

She points to him and opens her eyes all the way. "He's...he's...you  
get paid to work closely with him? I would do that for free!"

"No, you wouldn't"

She loses the smile before saying, "Why?"

"He's...egotistical, demanding, loud, full of himself, but than  
again the egotistical does take care of that...you just wouldn't  
want to work with him"

*Who'd ya think you're kiddin'?  
He's the Earth and heaven to you!  
Try to keep it hidden,  
Honey, we can see right through you *

"Okay, than why are you working with him if he's…all those things  
you said?"

"After a while you get used to it, I guess"

"And you're used to it?" she asks raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah"

She looks at me like she doesn't believe me, but she'll act like she  
will. "Oh, look here he comes!"

I turn around and sure enough, here he comes.

*Girl, ya can't conceal it  
We know how ya feel and  
Who you're thinking of*

I watch him as he walks towards us and I start to wonder if it's  
just me or is it hot in here. He lost his jacket a long time ago,  
his tie is all loosened up, and he swagger makes me what to take him  
right now. But then I remember he's with the witch Amy Gardner and  
it be kinda bad if I...you know take him right in front of the  
President. Not to mention CJ, Toby, Sam, Leo, and the press.

"Donna?! Where have you been!? I've been looking everywhere for  
you!" He says as he gets closer.

"I've been here for five minutes"

"I need you to find the thing about the thing" he says as he stands  
next to me. I can smell Josh's cologne and for a second I think  
about a time where I didn't meet Josh in Nashua, but somewhere else.  
And I wasn't his assistant, and we went out on dates and I could  
smell the guy's cologne on my pillow.

I need help.

"Got it" I said before writing down on my pad `Memo about education'

"You understood that?" Erin said raising one eyebrow and pointing  
to the pad.

"Yeah"

"You're right. I could never work for him"

That's probably when Josh noticed that I was talking to someone when  
he interrupted. "Who are you?" he politely asks Erin

"Erin Peters; an old friend of Donna's. You must be Josh Lyman"

He smirks as he says, "You heard of me?"

"Not before five minutes ago" she answers with her own smirk. Josh  
loses his little smirk that only makes me want to laugh. God, he  
thinks everyone in the world has heard of him.

"Oh" he turns back to me and says, "Are you going out on your lunch  
break?"

"Yes"

"Can you get me a- -"

"A salad? Of course Joshua. Did you even have to ask?" I say  
sarcastically. I'm not dumb, I know what he wants.

He looks at me like he's saying, `you're kidding, right?' before  
saying, "Cute Donnatella. Get me a hamburger, extremely well done  
and fries"

"Want a milkshake too?" I say cocking my head to the side and  
grinning a little. He's not getting a milkshake and he knows it.

"Sure. Make it strawberry" he says coping what I'm doing.

"Of course, your royal highness. Anything else?"

"No, I'm good"

"Okay, so you want a chicken creaser salad, a cup of fruit, and a  
bottle of water. My, my Josh don't you eat healthy." I turn around  
and walk away before he can say anything.

"DONNA!" he screams but I keep walking. I know I'm wearing a smirk,  
but I just love messing with him.

I feel someone walking next to me and am shocked to see Erin trying  
to keep up with me. I forget she was even there.

"Why do you walk so fast?" she asks already breathing hard.

"Something you pick up when you work in the White House"

We're silent for all of two seconds before she asks, "What the hell  
was that back there?"

"What what was?"

"The...I don't know how to explain it. The...the way you talked to  
each other. I don't think I know anyone who talks to their boss like  
that"

I shrug, and say "It's no big deal" even though it kinda is a big  
deal. I mean, I never hear Leo talk to Margaret the way Josh talks  
to me. And even thinking of the things Josh says to me coming out of  
Leo's mouth gives me shivers.

"I think the most I ever got out of my boss is `Happy Birthday'.  
Never had I have a conversation with my boss the way you talked to  
Josh"

I'm silent this I have no idea what to say. She's right. No one  
would have a conversation with their bosses like I have with mine.  
Everyone else would be filing for sexual harassment. Me? I'm hoping  
he would continue flirting with me.

* You swoon, you sigh  
why deny it, uh-oh*

We finally reach the McDonalds that was a block away from the  
school. When we get to the counter I order what I want and order  
what Josh wants. Me, being the good assistant I am, order him  
hamburger and fries.

After we get our food, we sit down and enjoy this pound of fat  
between two pieces of bread.

"So when did you leave Madison?" Erin asks

"February of 1997" I say taking a bit of my sandwich.

"You didn't finish college?"

"Nope"

"And Josh hired you anyway?"

"Yep"

She takes a sip of her soda before saying, "I don't believe this is  
true, but did you...sleep your way into the- -"

"ERIN!? HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT I DID?!" I ask opening my eyes all  
the way. I'm hurt, I really am. I mean I know that some people may  
think that I did sleep my way, but one of my closet friends thinking  
I did...

That hurts.

"I'm sorry. But that's what they're saying back in Madison"

"Who?"

"All the girls you didn't like in our years a Madison High"

"Bitches" I say taking a few fries and eating them.

"I'm sorry. Really, I didn't want to ask and I mean, I KNOW you, and  
I KNOW you wouldn't..."

"And I didn't. I worked my butt off to show Josh that I could do the  
job"

"Look, let's just get off the topic. Did you heat about Mark Levi?"  
she asks referring to the boy I liked in high school.

"No. What?"

"He married Alice Carrion" she says with a smirk. Take all the girls  
you hated in high school and you have Alice Carrion. She was the  
worst of the worst.

"Mark and Alice?"

"Yep. Two months ago. I prayed that he wouldn't kill himself. He's  
so pretty. You should have dated him"

"Yeah, but he liked drugs better than me. Than I had Kevin"

*I thought my heart had learned its lesson  
It feels so good when you start out  
My head is screaming get a grip, girl  
Unless you're dying to cry your heart out*

"And now you have Josh"

Stupid me was taking a sip of my soda when she said that. I now have  
to get a new shirt.

"WHAT?! I don't HAVE Josh! I'm NOT DATING Josh! I'm his assistant!"

"You may not be dating him, but you want him" she says eating some  
of her fries.

"No I don't"

*You keep on denying  
Who you are and how you're feeling  
Baby, we're not buying  
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling*

"Who are you kidding? Girl, don't you remember? I'm the queen at  
romance! I can tell when someone has a crush, and Sweetie, you're so  
far past school girl crush, I don't think you could see it if you  
tried."

* Face it like a grown-up  
When ya gonna own up  
That ya got, got, got it bad*

"Look, I will admit that I LIKE Josh" I whisper just in case anyone  
here knows Josh. "But not in THAT way. He's my best friend"

"Well, that's a tough place to be. Between friend and...um  
friendlier" she says with a wicked smile.

"I do not love Josh Lyman" I yell-whisper

* No chance, no way  
I won't say it, no, no*

"Oh, come on! How did you know what he wanted? All he said was he  
wanted the thing and the thing. That could mean anything!"

"I...just know what he wants, that's all. Doesn't mean I'm in love"

"And the way you look at him..." she says before taking another sip  
of her soda

"What about the way I look at him?"

"The way your eyes sparkle when you see him, the way you can't, no  
matter how hard you try, can't stop smiling, the way your body  
language is when you stand in front of him, for Christ's Sake!"

* Give up, give in  
Check the grin you're in love*

"No, I'm not" I say. I look at my watch before announcing, "I have  
to get back. Josh will wonder where his meal is"

We stand up and throw out the garbage. We're back outside when Erin  
brings up the subject again. "Do you always do this for him?"

"Do what?"

"Bring him his lunch. I've been married for three years; I don't  
think I ever brought Tim his lunch"

"It's nothing. Really"

"Going back to what I said before- -"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" I say before pulling on Erin's arm with  
my empty hand a pulling off to the side so no one can hear us. "I  
like Josh, okay. Is that what you want to hear? I like him! I  
wouldn't mind going out on a date with him, but I am NOT IN LOVE  
WITH HIM!"

She looks at me before saying, "Yes, you are"

* You're way off base  
I won't say it  
Get off my case  
I won't say it*

"No I'm not! I LIKE him! There is a difference between LIKING a guy  
and LOVING a guy!"

"You're right, there is. But you love Josh, not like him. You might  
even love HIM more than *I* love TIM. And we're married"

"Erin, I don't love Josh. I like him sure, but I don't- -"

"Look" she says holding my arm and looking at me with what I think  
is pity. "I notice these things. The body language, the looks, the  
smiles, things no one else would notice. And I noticed it with you  
two. Am I saying you should go out and marry the guy? No. What I am  
saying is, when you ARE able to be with him- -you know kiss him,  
hold his hand in public, do things to him you only thought you could  
dream about- -do it. Because whether you like it or not, you're in  
love. It's as simply as that" She looks down at the bag of food I  
have for Josh before saying, "You should take that to him. He's  
probably wondering where you went"

*Girl, don't be proud  
It's O.K. you're in love*

She walks away and when I turn around I notice she's holding hands  
with a guy. Must be Tim. She smiles as he talks and she leans in to  
kiss him. That's when I walk away.

I'm in the auditorium for all of five seconds before Josh runs over  
and says "There you are! I thought maybe you went to China for it!"  
he grabs the bag before opening it up and noticing that it is indeed  
a hamburger and fries. He looks up and grins, giving me a glance at  
the dimples, before saying, "Thanks Donna" and walking away.

Oh yeah, I'm in love.

Especially with that ass.

*At least out loud,  
I won't say I'm in love*


End file.
